Gadgets: The WhipStir, a Double-Sided Whisk

Everyone needs a whisk, right? And these days, it's not a bad idea to have a coated whisk for use in nonstick cookware. There are plenty of whisks from so many different gadget manufacturers. And they're pretty much all the same, right?

Mostly.

What makes the WhipStir 2-in-1 Whisk ($14.99) from Chef'n different from the competition is that it's a double-sided whisk. Instead of a traditional handle, the smaller end is a hard plastic whisk while the larger end is flexible coated wire.

My first thought when I saw this was that it might be awkward to hold, but since the smaller end is hard plastic, it's not that different from holding the handle of any other whisk. Holding the larger end to use the small whisk doesn't feel odd either. It might be less comfortable than a traditional handle if you're whisking something for a long time, but you probably wouldn't use a small whisk for that purpose. When I use a small whisk I'm usually doing something quick like mixing some cornstarch and water in a small bowl or mixing a small amount of dry ingredients, not making whipped cream.

It's hard to muster up a lot of enthusiasm for a whisk, either pro or con. Whisks have been around for a long time, and unless you do a lot of hand whisking, there's probably not that much difference between them once you've decided whether you need a coated whisk or not. The bonus here is that you get two whisks in one tool—nice for starter kitchens, people with limited storage space, or those who need an extra whisk and like the idea of two tools in one.

About the author: Resident yeast whisperer and bread baking columnist Donna Currie also has a serious gadget habit. When her father-in-law heard about this column, he upgraded the nickname for her kitchen from "gadget world" to "gadget heaven." You can find her on her blog, Cookistry or follow her on Twitter at @dbcurrie.